Resealable push-pull closures (or as they are sometimes called, “sports closures”) allow a person to pour out a container's contents without the need to fully remove the closure from the container.
Such closures typically comprise a main cap that seals the container in the manner of normal closures as known in the art. The top surface of the main cap normally has an opening in fluid communication with the bore of a spout. The spout in turn has a plug member that partially blocks the bore. To seal the container, a top cap, which also has an aperture, is mounted to the spout. The top cap is normally movable between at least a first position in which its aperture is sealed by the plug member so sealing the container and a second position in which the aperture is not sealed by the plug member so allowing the container's contents to exit from the container around the plug member and through the aperture of the top cap.
The top cap is generally mounted to the spout in a manner such that is readily movable between the first and second positions by only one hand or even by the teeth. This traditionally has made the closure popular with sportspersons, such as runners or cyclists, who may wish to consume a product but who may only have one hand free whilst participating in their sport.
The use of such a closure is, however, not only restricted to containers for sports drinks and they have found application in an ever wider range of container types and products in general use by consumers. For example, the closures have been used to seal containers containing beverages marketed at children.
One problem with such closures is the relatively complex construction necessary to form the closure and provide the resealing capability. The use of a spout and the typically relatively smaller opening in the top cap also restricts the rate of flow of the beverage from the container which can be disadvantageous in certain instances.
Containers for aerated or carbonated beverages should also be sealed by closures that can withstand the increase in pressure created within the container by the aeration or carbonation of the beverage. The closures should also retain a sufficient degree of sealing to prevent loss of gas from the container in the time between filling of the container and eventual consumption of the beverage by the consumer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,444 discloses a plastics closure for a container having an externally screw threaded neck, the closure including a top portion and an internally threaded skirt. The closure has an annular sealing rib which projects downwardly from the underside of the top portion. The rib includes a first substantially cylindrical portion contiguous with the underside of the top portion and lying adjacent to or abutting with the skirt, and a second, frusto-conical, portion contiguous with the end of the first portion distal to the underside of the top portion and extending radially inwardly to a circular free edge. During threaded attachment of the closure with the neck, the second, frusto-conical, portion is engaged by a free end of the neck and folded back toward or against the first, substantially cylindrical portion of the rib to form a gas tight seal between at least the outer surface of the neck of the container and the closure.
The present invention is directed to an alternative to the sports closure that can be opened and re-closed, if necessary, using just one hand.